Monthly Archives: November 2011

Now finalizing work on the Anne case. Many will recall our undercover investigation of the winter quarters of Bobby Roberts’ Super Circus and the footage of Anne the elephant. After months of analysis of recordings, preparation of evidence, expert witness testimony and preparation of the case with our lawyers, we laid the file before magistrates. Talks with the Crown Prosecution Service finally secured their agreement to take the case. The initial hearing is 1st December.

Although the case arouses strong feelings, we’re urging everyone to refrain from demonstrations outside the court or any other action that might disrupt the trial. That will not bring justice to Anne – allowing the courts to administer justice is what Anne and other animals need you to do now.

This is an important case. It is the UK’s first prosecution of a circus under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and only the second circus prosecution in UK judicial history. Due to the nature of the business there are notorious difficulties in gathering evidence in travelling circuses. The previous prosecution of a circus in the UK, under the Protection of Animals Act 1911 (replaced by the AWA) also resulted from an investigation and private prosecution by ADI, which was later taken forward by the CPS. That case resulted in the convictions for cruelty of the directors of Mary Chipperfield Promotions and their elephant keeper.

And just a few days earlier, the U.S. Central District Court of California in Los Angeles reviewed the file for the case against Have Trunk Will Travel for their misleading statements about the training of their elephants – Tai was used in ‘Water for Elephants’ and Rosie was used in ‘Zookeeper’. We await progress on this one.